Walk On By
by caffeinekitty
Summary: On a busy Ikebukuro street, living busy disparate lives, it was always a coincidence that their paths crossed at all.


_Originally posted at the Drrr Kinkmeme on Livejournal. _

_The following story contains M/M - please don't read if that's not your thing. If it is, enjoy! ;)_

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><p><span>Walk On By<span>

There were some days when Shizuo didn't just pass him by. He'd given up trying to predict them a long time ago, but it always happened the same way.

On a busy Ikebukuro street, living busy disparate lives, it was always a coincidence that their paths crossed at all. If he was the sort of guy who gave much weight to whimsy, he'd start thinking maybe it was _because _they were them.

_Or you've been paying way too much attention to Karisawa and Yumasaki lately._

And yeah, maybe when he finished a job and stood out on the sidewalk, he'd scan the crowd for a tall blond – or, usually, the gap in the crowd that surrounded him – to know whether he should wait or not.

It was never his call, and, really, he had no idea why. Maybe they were both just comfortable with the routine they'd fallen into, comfortable with the pattern. He'd have been worried about scaring Shizuo away by being the one to instigate things, but if anything scared the Beast of Ikebukuro, it wasn't him. It wasn't this… whatever this was.

Not that he'd change anything. Neither of them demanded much from each other, and that might just be why it worked.

"Hey," he said, watching Shizuo pass by, same as always.

And, same as always, Shizuo walked hands in pockets, shoulders slightly hunched, as though people were just scared of his height and mitigating that somehow would make them back off.

There was always that moment when Kadota held his breath, waited, ready with a wry smile to send at Shizuo's retreating back.

But not today.

Shizuo stopped, but didn't turn his way. Instead, he lifted his head, staring at something in the street-lamp tinted sky beyond the buildings of Ikebukuro. Kadota never knew what was up there, but whatever it was seemed to help Shizuo make up his mind, and that was all that really mattered.

"You wanna come over later?"

He wondered if Shizuo realized he'd never said "no", but he still made it a question every time.

"Yeah, okay." He shrugged. "What time?"

"I'm working till ten, maybe eleven. So any time after that."

And that was all it ever took. The street began to move again, the tide that had slowed to let them connect speeding back up. Shizuo carried on loping towards whatever destination he had in mind, and Kadota headed in the opposite direction.

Still, eleven found him outside Shizuo's door.

Shizuo was still wearing his uniform when he opened the door, though he was barefoot and his bowtie drooped loosely around his neck. He acknowledged Kadota with a tilt of the head, leaving the door open as he headed back into the apartment.

"You want a beer or something?"

Kadota leaned against the wall of the narrow entryway to untie his boots, shrug off his jacket, remove his hat. "Did you ever find one sweet enough for you?"

"Nah." Shizuo's voice drifted from the living room along with the mellow tang of cigarettes. "Tom says there're these imported ones I might like, but ah, I don't get the point. This stuff's okay. As long as it works, I can put up with the taste."

"That bad, huh?"

By the time he got to the living room, there was an open, ice-cold beer bottle sitting on Shizuo's scuffed coffee table. Shizuo himself sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch, impossibly long legs stretched out before him.

"Just the same old crap."

Kadota laughed a little, taking the bottle and sitting down a short distance from Shizuo. "Still haven't killed Izaya, then?"

Shizuo knocked back a swig of beer, dragging the back of his hand across his lips. "Don't even fucking mention him. I'm trying to get in a good mood here."

"Understood." Kadota smiled around his own beer. And he did understand, because that's why he was here. Well, the good mood part, anyway. If Shizuo still wanted to hunt down Izaya, he was on his own… though sure, Kadota wouldn't mind getting in a shot or three just for 'Dotachin'.

"And I just spent the past half hour listening to why some fucking dumbass wound up two million in debt 'cause of some call girl called Crystal." Shizuo grimaced. "You ever wonder why people're so stupid over that crap? How'd you get so desperate you stop noticing how badly you're screwing up?"

"Who knows. I guess if someone's that lonely it might seem like a good idea."

"That's pretty fucking lonely."

"Yeah. And well, it's not like I have to deal with it all the time like you do."

"Be grateful. Shit. I mean, if I had a spare two million to throw away on prostitutes I could get a better damn apartment than this one… well," a swig of beer, another grimace at the taste, "after I paid off _my _debts."

Kadota leaned his head back against the couch cushions, and smiled up at the ceiling. "At least they're not because of Crystal."

Shizuo snorted a laugh. "Yeah, gotta be glad for the small stuff, huh?"

"It's been pretty quiet lately, though." Meaning he hadn't heard of any incidents involving Shizuo and any property damage he'd have to pay for in over a week.

"Ah." Shizuo agreed, drawing one knee up, beer bottle dangling dangerously loose between his fingers. "All the more reason to enjoy it while it lasts."

The conversation, such as it was, trailed off, but the silence was far from awkward. Shizuo wasn't the kind of guy who talked just to hear the sound of his own voice, and Kadota… well, he loved his friends, he really did, but sometimes it was nice being around someone who didn't need him as a babysitter, referee or as the object of merciless teasing. It was nice being around Shizuo, even if the blond would never believe he was good company.

He'd wondered why a lot at first. Why him, when someone like Shizuo could have his pick of Ikebukuro if only he realized it. He always could have, were it not for the circumstances in which he constantly found himself. Kadota figured it was probably hard to work out what normal relationships were when he'd had to deal with Shinra and Izaya for years. Well, and him, though he'd done his best to stay out of Shizuo's way when he wasn't needed, done his best to keep the peace amid the chaos. But then, it kind of made sense; sometimes he thought he was the only one Shizuo'd never really wanted to kill.

After a while, Shizuo stretched languid and lazy as a big cat deciding it had done enough basking for one day and it was time to turn predator. He drained the beer before setting the empty bottle down on the coffee table, and plucked Kadota's from his fingers whether he'd finished it or not.

And maybe he wasn't finished, but he was sure as hell done when Shizuo leaned closer, mouth moved against his, tasting of beer and heat and the slightest trace of something sweet.

He never knew _why_ Shizuo wanted, any more than he really understood why his gang started hanging out with a guy like him, but _what _Shizuo wanted didn't take a rocket scientist.

He sat up a little for balance as Shizuo half straddled his lap, one knee pressed between his legs. He bent his leg up slightly, thigh rubbing under Shizuo, feeling the answering hardness pressing against his hip. Fingers digging hard into Kadota's bare shoulders, Shizuo ground against him, breaking the kiss with a quiet, pleased sound.

"Good?" He skimmed his hands up Shizuo's thighs, feeling the blond arch against him.

"Yeah." Blunt fingertips with just the faintest hint of nails raked down his arms.

Shizuo began to tug his shirt free from his pants, but Kadota stopped him, one hand circling Shizuo's wrist. The pulse against his fingers was a strong, reassuring thud, and Kadota couldn't help thinking that Shizuo's hands were remarkably ordinary. A hand that uprooted street furniture with the ease other people picked up their coffee cups felt weirdly normal against his. A little rough, a little callused, but nothing that gave away what the man they belonged to was capable of. Shizuo seemed content enough to indulge him, just lowering his head in a slight nuzzle. Still stroking Shizuo's wrist, Kadota tucked his free hand under the blond's knee, drawing him closer, face buried in the crook of Shizuo's neck, breathing him in. Breathing in the scent of smoke and skin, traces of cologne and hints of the street.

And he couldn't help but smile at the thought that maybe these encounters weren't quite as unplanned as he'd always believed.

Shizuo gave up on the shirt in favour of kissing him again, hands in his hair. Thank God for his hat; whenever Shizuo was done with him, Kadota's hair was in his eyes or sticking up in unruly tufts that could only come from a lover's hands raking through it, gripping, hanging on.

Heh. Between him and no one in particular, Shizuo wasn't in a much better state afterwards either. After that incident in the van on that supremely rare occasion he had it to himself, they'd decided it was better in places that at least had a bathroom, and better mirrors than just the rear-view. Still, it had been good to watch Shizuo walk away, completely unaware in his blissed-out state that his vest was on inside-out and the tail of his shirt stuck out from the back of his pants, knowing he was responsible.

Of course, Kadota had called him back and Shizuo had fixed his clothes with a gruff "Thanks", before lighting a cigarette and walking off again.

Just because he was responsible didn't mean Shizuo wanted Ikebukuro to know about it.

But here, they didn't have to worry, and Kadota couldn't complain about that.

Neither did he complain about the fact that, now Shizuo's hands were busy elsewhere, he could work on getting that crisp white shirt off himself. He'd have loved to just rip it open, that desperate to reach the golden skin and hard muscle underneath, but he'd seen how careful Shizuo always was with his uniform. And anyway, there was something just as good in revealing Shizuo's chest in tantalizing increments.

Shizuo's hands interlaced at the back of his head as Kadota's mouth moved to his jaw, his throat, and his head fell back when Kadota's tongue dipped into the hollow at the base of his throat, hands sliding under the open edges of the blond's shirt. Shizuo's chest was warm and solid under his touch, all lean muscle and definition that owed more to parkour and vending machines than some fancy gym. Those same muscles shivered in the wake of his fingertips dragging from hard pecs to trembling abs and then hooking in the waist of Shizuo's pants.

Shizuo growled, low and dangerous, and pushed his hands away just long enough to yank Kadota's shirt over his head. One of them hissed at the skin contact, but he lost the ability to care who when Shizuo's knee started rubbing in slow circles against his erection. Hands braced on his shoulders, Shizuo's hips were rocking to that same rhythm, cock straining harder at the front of his pants with every movement.

It took a while for Kadota to convince his hands to move, to remind them they'd been in the middle of something important. Shizuo's hands shifted to tangle in his hair as Kadota unfastened those black slacks, fingers grazing Shizuo's erection through the material before sliding inside.

He heard a muttered curse as he curled his fingers around the thick heat of Shizuo's cock, stroking from root to tip. It was the blond's turn to grip his wrist, controlling the speed, arching up into his fist, still rubbing against him with every thrust. He pressed his face to the crook of Shizuo's neck again, sucking at the skin, tasting salt.

On one stroke, he swept his thumb across the head of Shizuo's cock, his fingers coming away slick with pre-come. He repeated the action on the next stroke, squeezing harder this time, letting the edge of his thumbnail press into the slit. Shizuo made a sound that did something to Kadota's body that no amount of erratic grinding could match, and bucked against him.

"D'you want this to finish here?" Shizuo's breath was rough heat against his ear, making him shiver. "'Cause if you don't, you gotta stop, _now_."

Chuckling at the barely concealed irritation in Shizuo's voice, Kadota nipped at his shoulder, slowing his movements. "It's _really_ been a bad day, huh?"

"Shut up." Shizuo's fingers dug into his biceps, as though undecided about holding on or pushing away. And it hurt a little, like most things did with Shizuo even when he was trying to be careful, but it was the good kind of ache and it wasn't as though anyone'd ever asked Kadota to hold back either. Maybe that was the allure; he wasn't some delicate flower Shizuo could harm in a careless moment.

It made as much sense as anything else.

Finally, Shizuo summoned the will to move, and Kadota almost groaned out loud at the loss of the warm weight pinning him back against the couch. Shizuo stumbled on his half-undone pants for a step or two, before swearing under his breath and kicking them off.

He couldn't ever remember admiring – if admiring was even the word for it; lusting after, yeah that sounded closer – a guy's legs before, but Shizuo was the exception to many rules. From his vantage point, they looked about a mile long, sculpted and graceful, and when you'd had them wrapped around your waist tight enough to bruise, well… it changed your perspective.

His own pants – nowhere near as tailored and confining as Shizuo's – weren't hampering him, but the state Shizuo'd left him in made getting up a little awkward.

Shizuo drew him into another kiss at the foot of the bed, hands kneading their way down Kadota's back to squeeze his ass. He was at the point where he wouldn't care much if Shizuo put that pent-up strength to use by reducing Kadota's pants to ribbons, but instead he had to endure a strong hand rubbing an open-palmed caress against the front of his pants.

"I thought you were in a hurry."

"Yeah," a slow, feral grin curved Shizuo's lips as he knelt in front of him, unfastening his belt, "but you're not." The belt dropped to the floor with a metallic clatter, taking Kadota's pants with it, and just the friction of his clothes against his cock made stars dance in his vision. When they cleared, Shizuo was looking up at him, one brow raised, one hand gripping the base of his cock. "So I gotta do something about that, right?"

It was just as well he was leaning against an immovable object, because his knees were close to giving out when Shizuo's lips closed around him, firm and determined.

He closed his eyes, for all the good it did. His mind was happily painting a picture just from the way Shizuo's fingers twisted one way as his mouth went the other. His tongue flattened for every sweep along the underside of his cock, stiffened to rub under the head and draw patterns around the crown every time he drew back.

And it wasn't long before it was Kadota's turn again to grip Shizuo's hair in half warning, half plea.

"Okay, okay…" he managed to breathe. "You win, I'm in a hurry."

Shizuo drew back, still stroking, and licked his lips. "Thought you'd see it my way."

Truthfully, there wasn't much else he wanted to see apart from the sight in front of him. Shizuo sat back on his heels, thighs tense, hard, heavy cock jutting up from dark curls. His eyes were hazy, his lips were swollen, and Kadota couldn't ever remember wanting something this badly.

"What do you want?" he found his voice as Shizuo let go, stood, made his way towards the tiny table wedged between the side of the bed and the wall.

Dumb question, when Shizuo was in this sort of mood, but he asked anyway.

A half-empty tube of lube smacking rather forcefully into his chest was enough of an answer. The rest came with the way Shizuo knelt on the unmade sheets, weight braced on his forearms, legs spread, and looked back over his shoulder with a look that said "Well?" in his eyes.

The way Shizuo's muscles shifted beneath smooth skin had him making comparisons in his head to lazily predatory cats again. There was so much contained in those liquid movements, just biding its time. Without thinking, he ran a hand up Shizuo's spine from the shallow curve just above his ass to the nape of his neck where bleached blond hair stuck to a fine sheen of sweat. Shizuo arched up into the touch, and Kadota leaned down to lick at the groove between his shoulder blades, feeling the rumble that vibrated from deep in Shizuo's chest.

He unscrewed the lube as he continued licking and kissing his way down Shizuo's back. Now and then, his lips would brush against a smoother patch of skin, and he'd pause to give the scars – some old, some not so much – the respect they deserved. He knew he couldn't have endured half the crap Shizuo did and still remained close to functional. And yeah, there were some who might argue that point but they didn't see Shizuo like this.

They didn't hear the way his breath caught when Kadota's slick fingers circled his hole, teasing as long as both their patience allowed before pressing inside. Shizuo pushed back, impaling himself on Kadota's fingers before he found the wherewithal to move. He leaned down, nipping at the indentation above one taut cheek, reaching between the blond's legs to stroke him.

"Please." Shizuo shook his head, muscles trembling with the effort of holding back. "No games, just…" As if he couldn't help it, he thrust back again, body clenching tight around Kadota's fingers. "Just fuck me…"

And maybe Shizuo himself wouldn't think he was particularly strong in that moment, but he was always the strongest thing Kadota would ever know.

Slicking himself up with the leftover lube, he settled between Shizuo's parted knees. He was probably asking for a fist to the face, but he couldn't help one more teasing touch, two fingers just opening Shizuo up a little as he guided himself inside.

"No games," he lowered his head, pressing a kiss to Shizuo's back. "Not playing."

Shizuo laughed a little, a low breathless sound that turned into a mind-numbing moan when Kadota started moving. A shiver rippled through his body, spine arching.

"Oh, fuck… yes…"

One hand gripped Shizuo's hip, the other his shoulder for leverage. He really should save his breath for breathing, the way Shizuo's body clamped down around every thrust, but Kadota couldn't resist the smile tugging at his lips. "And you don't even have to wind up in debt for it."

"Not… ah!" Shizuo's hands clenched in the sheets when one knowing thrust nudged against his prostate. Kadota slowed down, just rocking against that spot. "Not fucking funny, _Dotachin_."

Kadota grit his teeth, pulling back in retaliation, just thrusting shallowly until Shizuo growled, knees spreading wider as he slammed his hips back, almost knocking Kadota off balance. The bed creaked in time with their fucking, the frame scraping against the wall. It'd been worse when the bed had a headboard. Shizuo got mad at that some time last summer, and then complained about finding the splinters for weeks after. Kadota kind of missed the way Shizuo used to cling to it, and the way the position delineated the muscles of his shoulders, reminded him this man could break him apart in a heartbeat and chose not to.

He drew Shizuo up, arms wrapping around that strong chest as the blond leaned back against him, powerful thighs rising and falling as the new angle made him slow the pace. Every time Shizuo lifted himself up, pushed himself back down, pleasure licked at Kadota's spine. His fingers sought out Shizuo's nipples, pinching and rolling, until Shizuo was squirming against him as though he couldn't get deep enough.

Well, there were ways around that.

Shizuo was already a half step ahead of him, as usual. When Kadota slid a hand under his thigh to flip him onto his back, Shizuo was already twisting back to meet him, arms winding around Kadota's shoulders, pulling him close.

The kiss didn't last long, just an indulgent, hungry meeting of lips and tongue and teeth before he pinned Shizuo back against the sheets, hands against the back of his thighs, opening him wider, thrusting deeper. His hair was in his eyes, and Shizuo's voice was in his head, echoes of his pants and moans as he reached down to stroke himself.

There might've been more gorgeous sights in the world, but Kadota couldn't imagine what they were.

Shizuo's hand was just a blur, moving too fast. His free hand clutched at Kadota's chest, finding no purchase on sweat-damp muscle but the clumsy touch was still enough to send flickers of electricity through his blood. He caught Shizuo's wrist again, drew it to his lips, watching those amber eyes turn dark as he darted a lick against Shizuo's palm, nipped at his fingers.

"Not playing?" Shizuo squeezed his eyes shut, stomach muscles quivering with tension as he stroked. "Bullshit…"

Kadota nipped harder, and Shizuo jerked against him. "You're not complaining."

If Shizuo had any retort to that, it was lost when Kadota's other hand slid between his legs, touch tracing the point he was stretched tight around Kadota's cock. On the next thrust, he let the friction drive in his fingertips, shuddering as Shizuo's body rippled to accommodate him.

"Fuck…!" Shizuo's thighs twitched, body trying to curl in on itself if only Kadota would allow it. But he wouldn't, and there was nowhere to go, and all Shizuo could do was arch under him, riding out the climax that spattered thick ribbons of white across his stomach.

He was still shaking through the aftershocks when Kadota drew him close, driving in deep on one last, hard thrust, muffling his roar of orgasm in Shizuo's chest. Shizuo remained wrapped tight around him until the shudders eased, until Kadota could hear anything past the rush of his heartbeat. It took a long moment to withdraw from the warmth of Shizuo's body; he'd have stayed there forever if it wasn't for the restless way the blond shifted under him. Pulling out made him grit his teeth, a sweet little chaser of sensation skittering through his nerves. Shizuo breathed a soft sound, legs closing slightly, and Kadota wondered if he'd maybe felt it too.

Catching his breath, he rolled over to lie at Shizuo's side, still boneless with the echoes of pleasure. Shizuo stretched, turning to pillow his head against Kadota's shoulder. Eyes still closed, he scowled when Kadota reached out, brushing messy blonde hair from his face.

"Tickles…"

"Sorry."

And he reminded himself again that he didn't really care why Shizuo wanted this from him. All that mattered was that he _did._ That Kadota was the one who got to see this side of him.

"You gonna stay?" Shizuo mumbled, sleepy and sated against his shoulder.

Kadota didn't quite trust his body to _move_, so just nuzzled Shizuo's hair and nodded. "You don't mind?"

"Nah. Just don't wake me up if you have to leave early."

He probably did. And his friends would probably demand his time tomorrow to make up for mysteriously disappearing on them today. Next time they passed Shizuo, he'd probably be working, or flinging trashcans at Izaya. They'd be heading in opposite directions on a busy street again.

But that was okay. It didn't really matter how long till it happened again, just that they both knew it would.

Next time Shizuo didn't just pass him by.


End file.
